Fastening



1931- A. WIDMER 1,818,442

' FASTENING Filed Nov. 10, 1928 Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UN D T STATEs "PA ENT ewes HVARRY ALIPLHONSE WIDMER, or LONDON, E GLAND, assienoe TO 'TUcK-TrrnLooK &

FASTENER COMPANY-LIMITED, or LONDON, ENGLAND, a o-oMrAnY or GREAT BRITAIN Am) IRELAND FASTE ING Application filea qovember'io, 1928, Serial No. eiasoa en'a in Great Britain October raises.

The present invention relates to improvements 1n those springfastenings first de scribed in patent specification No. 1',590,40O

June 29,1926, in which a tab attached to one 5 member of the articleto be fastened is fitted with a hinged engaging shoulder controlled by an independent spring and adapted to-be pushed under a bridge attached to the other member of the article and to be pressed down '10 against the influence of the spring to allow of the tab being released from the bridge. These spring fastening's have proved very satisfactory in use and have been adapted for widely different purposes. This engaging 1 5 spring shoulder'necessitates a fastening of such a height that it cannot be used conveniently for certain purposes Where it is necessary or desirable to reduce the thickness of the article to the smallest dimensions;

The present invention is designed to pro vide a fastening of this'character in which the height is reduced to such dimensions that it can be employed for'those purposes where .such a spring fastening must lie flush or al- 5 most'flush with the surface on whichit is mounted. y

' As in the earlier fastening a' tab on one member of the article to befastened'is pushed under and engages with abridge on the other member of the article. Thehinged engaging shoulder of the earlier fastening is replaced in the new construction by spring controlled laterally projecting members in the sides of the tab adapted to spring out behind the bridge when said: tab has been' pushed through. These laterally projecting members are adapted to be easily pressedbetween the finger and thumb into the interior of the tab to release said tab from the bridge.

It will be readily understood that the height of such a fastening can be reduced to such dimensions that when in use the fastening will lie flush or approximately flush with the surface on which the bridge is mounted 4' and yet provide a strong and efiicient fastening entirely satisfactory for the article on which it is employed.

: whichlock in Fig. 4.

an. enlarged scale with the top'plate of the casing removed.

' F igure 3 shows a s1 le view of F igure 2 but with thetop plate in position.

Flgurel; shows a plan view on an enlarged scale with the top plate removechof the'tab fitted with a lock. t

Figure 5 shows a plan view' of the top plate fitted to the fastening shown in Figure 4. Figure 6 shows a perspective View of an alternative form'of bridge, and

Figure 7 shows an enlarged detail ofthe Referring now to Figures 1- 'to 3 of the drawings a pair of outwardly curving members 1 are pivoted near the end of the tab casing 2 which as usualin this form of fastening is slightly-pointed to pass easily under CJL the bridge 3. *Th'e'ser outwardly curving members I are normally projected intermediate their ends through opposite slots at inthe sidewalls of the tab casing 2 under the influence of a leaf or other suitable spring or springs. Such a spring may the-conveniently in theform of a U-spring 5 as shownin the drawings adapted to lie between thesaid pivoted engaging members 1 the ends of said U-spring being outwardly turned as shown at 6 and adapted to engage in slits 7 out near the free ends of the pivoted members 1. 4 These pivoted members are provided attheir free ends with suitably shaped shoulders 8 adapted to engage with limiting stops 9 on the tab casing which retain the said free ends within the tab casing andalso prevent said ends from being pushed too. far into the interior of the casing during the operation of releasing the tab from the bridge 3. In use atab fitted with such a fastening can be easily pushed through the bridge andheld in position until the projecting members are pressed between the fingerand thumb into the inte-" rior of the tab against the influence of their spring to release the tab fromthe bridge. My invention is illustrated by Way of ex- It will be noted that the members 1 are pivoted in the forward end of the'tab 2 and are under compression. when holding the fastener against release. This enables them to be made from fiat stock and to operate in a narrow clearance which is highly desirable in a flat fastener of the type described. Fasteners of this type are used on flexible articles such as leather or fabric bags and the pointed tab entering the bridge prior to the engagement of the fastening members is an essential part of the construction whereby the fastening is readily secured. By pivoting the engaging members in the pointed end of the tab instead of in the opposite end the length of the tab is thereby condensed mak-' ing it suitable for flexible articles and less expensive to manufacture.

In Figures 4; and 5 a form of fastening is shown in which the tab casing is fitted with a lock 10 provided with a transverse bolt below the cover 10 which is adapted to be projected by a key to engage the member 1 when in the projected position, and to prevent this member being moved to the released position until the bolt is withdrawn by the key. This lock is shown in Fig. 7 in detail. The bolt 11 slides on pin 20 and has a recess at 21 for the key which raises the bolt against spring 22 engagingthe cover 10 and causes tang 23 to clear pin 2 f before the bolt is shifted. As shown,' the bolt projects on one side only to engage the left member 1. if his lock is typical of a variety of locks that may be used :for this purpose. i

Figure 6 :another alternative form or "the fastening is shown in which the horizontal cross bar of the bridge 3 is extended to form a cover plate 12 for thetab when the flatter isin engagement with said bridge.

d/Vhat 1 claim is 1; A flatspring fastening of the character described-comprising a bridgemounted on one member of the article to be fastened, a pointed metal itab mounted on the other member of'the article to be fastened and :adapted'zto engage said bridge, :a pair of opposite outwardly curving engaging members pivoted at one end near the pointed end of the tab casing and having their free ends disposed within said casing and an independent spring adapted to project said opposite outwardly curving engaging members through slots inithe side wallsof'the rta'b casing.

"2. A flat spring fastening of'the character described comprising a bridge mounted on one member of the article to be fastened, av pointed metal tabmounted on the other member of the article to be fastened and adapted to engage said bridge, a pair of opposite outwardly curving engaging members pivoted at one end near the pointed end of the tab casing and having their free ends within said casing and an independent U spring between said engaging members adapted to project said opposite outwardly curving engaging members through slots in the side walls of the :tab casing.

adapted to engage "said bridge, a pair of'op' 3. A flat spring fastening of the character described comprising a bridge mounted on one member of the article to be fastened, a pointed metal tab mounted on the other member of the article to be fastened and adapted to engage saidbridge, :a pair (of op posite outwardly curving engaging members pivoted near the pointed end of the tab casing and having their free ends within said casing and an independent U"'spring between said engaging members with outwardly turned ends adapted to engage in slits out near the free ends of said engaging members adapted .to project said opposite outwardly 'curving'engaging members through slots 'init-heaside Walls'of the-tabcasing. 1

i. A flat spring fastening of the character described comprising a bridge moi-inted on one member of the article to be fastened, a metal tabmounted on the-other member of the article to be fastened and adapted to ;en-- gage sa-idbridge, a pair of opposite engaging members pivotally mounted at one :end within said tab and having their free ends provided with shoulders, an independentspring adapted to project saidopposite =memhers laterally beyond the side walls Of'SiLid tab and limiting stops within the tab adapt ed to engage said shoulders and retain the free ends of said engaging members within the tab and to prevent said engaging members from being. pushedzto far within the initerior of said tab during the operation of releasing the tab from theJbrid'ge. I

' -5.. .A fl ait spri'ng fasteni ng of the-character described comprising a bridge mounted on one member of ithe articlento be fastened, 'a pointed metal tab mounted on the other member of the article 'to be fastened and posite outwardly curving engaging'membens pivotally mounted at one-end within said tab and near the pointed end of the tab casing and having their free ends disposed. within said casing, an i ndependent spring adapted to project said opposite members :lateral ly beyond the si-de Wallis ofsaid tab .andalock within thetab havingn boltiadiapte'd tomove "between the freeiends of the engaging anembers in the extended position. I

' In testimony whereof'l have signed any name tothi-sspeci'fication.' c

HARRY ALPHONSE \VIDMTER.

' V I it I I i 

